Turn-in finger for box-covering machines



A. J. MORRISON.

TURN-IN FINGER FOR BOX COVERING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED 0202,1920.

Patented Aug. 1, 1922.

" A i I J? w r. M Y

ALFRED J. MORRISON, $3? DENVER, QOLQLELADQ, ASfiIG-KQE T0 STOKES AND SMITH COMPANY, OF $UMMEBDALE, PHILADELFHIEK, PENNSYLVANIA, ll. GDRP'URA- WIlURIil-IN F635, EUEFQQVEHIE IG HAGHEN 13S,

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug, 11,

wonpliceticn filed Bee ember 2, 11.920. Serial li o. 4221737.

o ver and State of Colorodo, have invented certain new and useful 1m rovcments in Turnln Fingers for Boxovering Mechines, of which the following is o spec1fi,- cation.

All This invention relates especially to im provements in; devices for turning octncle ing in the upper edge oi. a coves applied to 21, box part. This is an operation usually followed by turning down the edges of the w cover against the inner feces of the l on Wall to complete the covering operation.

. Devices heretofore employed for the turn-v Well -ln'iovvn form they comprise two flat strips of motel arranged near o posite sides of the box pert being covere the strips 'e'ing slightly shorter than the length of tlie hox side walls, these strips heingmoved lay suitable inechonism toward each other I isndover' the zipper edges of the box side "wells, to turn horizontally inward the uppi'ojecting'edges of: the cover at the of-itlie hex; end two other fingers, on

sp nges opposite the end Walls of the box pest end provided with suitable mechanism 'itor moving theminward to turn or tuck in zlfihe ed es of the cover extendingup ct the ends 0 the box. To insure as close and tight 5 covering of the hon; edges both the side and end fingers have been arranged with their lower surfaces, throughout the greater part of their lengths only slightly above the upper edges of the box body. This necessitates so the arrangement of the major portions of the end fingers in the same plane as the em tire length of the side fingers, and to avoid interference between the end and side fingets, the end portions of the end fingers are 45 ofiset; that is bent slightly upward and then bent straight outward again, so that these end portions ride over the ends of the side fingers. and the main, central portions of the end fingers pea closely over the upper It is necessary with the end lingers so constructed to provide end lingers of approximetely correct length for each diiterent Width of box to be covered, and especially to arrange the oliset bends in the end fingers at the proper positions, to properly co-operatewith the side fingers, for each box Width. To enable end fingers to he prepered,it has been customary to provide a tool celled en embossing press to bend the end fingers to provide the oli'sets and it is found that in careless use of this tool, or when the end fingers are not formed with proper accui'acy'by other means, the central portion ofthe fingers between the oiiisets is sometimes bent, or for other reasons the offsets are not properly located, or the end portions or" the end fingers do not fit closely down upon the ends of the side'fingei which results in e loosccorner fold of the tucked-in cover in the subsequent operation of turn.- ing cove? edge down end against the inner surfaces of box Wells, this loose fold causes a hunched and unsightly formation of the cover at the corners of the box.

Tuck-in mechanism of'the class described usually operates in conjunction with a two part plunger which is inserted in the box -.pert, and when the tuck-in operation is to he performed the upper plunger section is Withdrawn sufficiently to permit the edges of the cover to he tucked in as described. After the fingers are Withdrawn the upper plunger is moved down into the box part to turn the cover edges down against the inner surfaces of the box Wells and thereafterv suitable pressing devices not against the b0): Walls in CO-OPGIfltiOY! with the plunger.

A principal object. of my invention is to do away with the annoyance and expense incidxant to the provision of offset end fingers and also to ZtVOld the production of loose or imperfect corner folds conse uent upon the use oif improperly formed oliset fingers, as shove described, and at the some time to provide simplified endfingers which do not have to be specially shaped or out to special proper relation of the tuck-in devices to other parts of the covering mechanism, such as a two-part plunger above mentioned.

To attain these and other objects my invention comprises substantially straight end tuck-in fingers having their inner lower edges beveled so that the end fingers may be arranged to move very nearly in the same plane as theside fingers, and the edge bevels cause the ends of the end fingers to ride up over the ends of the side fingers and grip the cover edge between the adjacent surfaces of the fingers and make an accurate, tight fold; so that after the fingers are withdrawn and the plunger turns the cover edges down into the box the corner folds fit perfectly into the box corners without bunching or lumping of the cover sheet. These end fingers may cooperate with side fingers of ordinary form. The tuck-in fingers so con structed and arranged, are arranged to co operate with two-part. plim'ger mechanism as sufiiciently described hereinafter.

In the foregoing and later description the reference to certain fingers as end fingers and other fingers as side-fingers is only for convenience in. identification of different parts; and although in the ac'tualfembodiment of the invention it is usually conbox are end tuclcm fingers 35, usually; straight flat strips of metal which may be venient to arrange the. straight beveled fingers to co-operate with the ends of the box, evidently this is not essential, a-nd the terms end and side may be interchanged Without in any Way affecting the principles involved.

The accompanying drawing shows one exemplifying embodiment of the invention and after considering this, persons skilled in the art will understand that variations may be made within. the principles of the invention and I do not limit myself to details, except as claimed.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a. tgp plan of tuck-in fingers em.- bodying the invention, shown in connection with sufficient parts of their supporting and operating mechanism and in operative relation to a box part.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the mechanism shown in F l with the added showing of a two part plunger in dotted lines;

Figs. 3 and 4 are fragmentary views of one corner of a box part and cover paper, with adjacent fragments of tuck-in fingers in different operative positions.

Figs. 5 and (Bare fragmentary perspective views of a. Corner of a'box part and its cover paper in different conditions.

, A box part B having side walls and end. walls 11 anda bottom 12, and open at the top, is supported in different covering operations by a. ti .o-part, plunger P, Fig. 2, comprising a lo\, er section 15 and upper section 16 of ideritical horizontal outline,

edge port-ions 20 of the cover projecting above the upper edges of the box walls throughout the circumference of the box, these edge portions usually having side or end laps 21 at one or more corners of the box, these end laps producing corner folds 22.

Adjacent to the side walls of the box are side tuck-in fingers consisting of straightfiat strips of metal of a. length just slightly less than the length of the box. The lower surfaces of these fingers are arranged very slightly above the level of the upper edges of the box walls when the box part is in position for the tuck-in operation.

Arranged adjacent to the end walls of the of any convenient length slightly or considerably longer than the length of the ends of the boxes to be covered. The lower inner edges of fingers are provided with bevside and end fingers. and this aria gement at the same time brings the lower of the end fingers very close to the level of the upper edges of the box ends,

Each finger 30 and 35 is carried by head *0 connected to suitable supporting and operating rods 41, or the heads may be provided with or clevises 42 for the reception of suitable operating levers or links; and suit able mechanism is provided for first moving the side fingers 30 simultaneouslyacross the .upper edges of the box to fold horizontally the side edges 20 of the cover paper and then to move the end fingers 35 simultaneously across the ends of the box and across the ends of the side lingers to fold inward the end edges 20 of the cover and in this operation the corner fold 22, as shown'in Fig. 4, is pressed smoothly down over the ends of the side fingers, lea-ving' the box and cover,

side fingers in tucking in the upper edges of the box cover paper and forming corner folds of: the tucked-in edges, 9. A tuck-in finger for box covering 5 mechanism, consisting of a Strip having a beveled operating edge to co-operate with other tuck-in fingers 10. A tuck-in finger'for box covering mechanism consisting of. a substantially straight flat strip having a beveled edge 10 adapted to co-operate with end portions of complemental tuck-in fingers.

Signed'at city of Denver, in the county of Denver, and State of Colorado this 17th day of November, A. D. 1920.

ALFRED J. MORRISON. 

